


Afterlife Calling

by teacup_of_doom



Series: Scenes from an Alternate Galaxy [15]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Female Obi-Wan Kenobi, Gen, Holocron, If You Squint - Freeform, Mentions of Jedi Knights of the Old Republic, Mentions of Palpatine, Mentions of Tahl, Padawan Obi-Wan, Revan is a Meddler, Set Before Force Shift, Surprises, Young Obi-Wan Kenobi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 07:16:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17320448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teacup_of_doom/pseuds/teacup_of_doom
Summary: A surprise in the Archives for Jocasta Nu turns out to be an equally confusing for just about everyone - especially 13 year old Obi-Wan Kenobi. Qui-Gon places a call to his former Master, and Revan is a meddler.





	Afterlife Calling

* * *

 

  
Jocasta Nu had been startled when she’d received the notification. Jedi holocrons did not under normal circumstances activate themselves, and the fact that it was this  _ particular _ holocron made it even more surprising.

When she’d spoken to Revan’s holocron, its demand had sent her directly to the Jedi Council.

The Council sat before her, incredulity on most faces. Mace Windu leaned forward. “It asked  _ what _ ?”

“The holocron - and I no longer believe it to be an imprint - has demanded to speak to Padawan Kenobi.”

“How would it have even known Padawan Kenobi  _ existed _ ?” Adi Gallia asked. “She doesn’t have access to the holocrons!” 

“Even I only have access under special circumstances,” Jocasta agreed, “like this one. Padawan Kenobi has not shown any desire to speak to the holocrons, and it is doubtful that she has ever been near the Vault itself.”

“Call for Padawan Kenobi and her Master,” Plo Koon suggested. “To get to the bottom of this, we must hear from her, I think.”

“Agreed,” Yoda seconded. “Call them here you shall, Master Windu.”

Mace reached for his comm, and after a moment Qui-Gon responded. “Mace? I know you’re in session, is there something urgent you needed?”

“Master Jinn, I need to formally request that your and your Padawan come to the Council chamber,” Mace told him.

Qui-Gon responded with concern. “We can be there in five minutes, Master Windu. Are we in trouble for something?”

“You? No,” Mace replied. “Your Padawan? That remains to be seen.”

It was possibly the fastest they’d ever gotten Qui-Gon Jinn to attend a Council session, and he entered the room with Obi-Wan just behind him, wide eyed in confusion and trotting to keep pace with her long legged Master. 

Qui-Gon bowed, Obi-Wan a millisecond after. “Masters,” Qui-Gon greeted them. “What can we do for you?”

“Padawan Kenobi,” Mace intoned. “Please step forward.”

Sharing a concerned look with Qui-Gon as she passed him, Obi-Wan bowed to the Council once more. “Masters?” She looked around the room, her brow furrowed. “Have I done something wrong?”

“That, as I said,” Mace began, “remains to be seen. Are you, Padawan, familiar with the holocron vaults, or the holocrons themselves?”

Obi-Wan looked perplexed, and reading her in the Force, the Jedi Masters in the room knew the emotion was genuine. “I know that they exist?” she told them, voice rising with a question as though even that was in doubt. “But you can only access them with Council permission, and no one ever needs to talk to them for course work. Otherwise, I have no familiarity with anything of that nature, Masters.”

Yoda hummed. “Not tried to get into the vaults, have you? No dares have you undertaken?”

Obi-Wan looked even more puzzled, and it was clear Qui-Gon was mentally asking her questions as well. “No, Master.”

Qui-Gon stepped forward. “May I ask the Council, on behalf of my Padawan; what is going on?”

Mace looked to Jocasta Nu and nodded. Jocasta nodded in return and turned to the Master-Padawan pair. “Master Jinn, Padawan Kenobi, this morning I received a notification that one of the holocrons in our archives had activated, and went to investigate. Holocrons are not normally able to activate themselves, and so I assumed tampering. However, the presence within the holocron began to make one specific demand of me the moment I entered the room.” Jocasta nodded her head towards Obi-Wan. “It asked to speak to you, and you alone.”

Obi-Wan’s shock flared in the Force. “What?” she asked, an anxious expression passing over her face. “Why me?”

Jocasta shook her head. “That, I cannot answer. Only the presence within the holocron can.”

“Which holocron asked to speak to Obi-Wan?” Qui-Gon demanded. “If it were simply a Jedi Holocron, there would not be this level of scrutiny.”

Jocasta looked to Mace for permission, who gave it. “The holocron belongs to the Prodigal Knight,” she told them. 

Both Master and Padawan stared at her. 

“Revan wants to speak to  _ Obi-Wan? _ !” Qui-Gon nearly yelled, suddenly having the urge to yank his new apprentice behind him for her protection. “Why?!”

“He won’t say,” Jocasta replied mildly. “Padawan Kenobi?”

Obi-Wan was still staring at the Archivist in shock. “I- I don’t understand. Madame Nu, I’ve read about Revan in my course work, but I’ve never -”

Yoda hopped off of his seat and came over to Obi-Wan. “Sit, youngling, before fall down you do.” He batted her legs with his stick, once. Obi-Wan sat cross-legged with a thud. “Bring the holocron here, you must,” Yoda told Jocasta Nu. “Answers the Council will have.”   
  


* * *

 

  
The holocron was too big to sit in Obi-Wan’s thirteen year old palm, but she held onto it for a little longer than she suspected the Council would have liked, out of awe, if nothing else. Out of her entire age group, it was likely that she was the only one to have ever seen one. Most Jedi had never been this  _ close  _ to one. It was a solid, brass coloured hexahedron, the shine of the metal darkened with age. Intricate patterns were woven all over the surface, in strands of metal and in engravings alike - all except for the outer focusing crystals, which were dull, dusky blue. There were scratches on it, here and there, but they only added to the beauty of the thing. Obi-Wan couldn’t explain it, but she felt drawn to it, just a little.

And it belonged to Revan, one of the greatest Jedi - and Sith - in the history of the Order. Who apparently wanted to talk to  _ her _ . 

“Obi-Wan?” Qui-Gon whispered. 

Obi-Wan nodded, and settled the holocron on the floor, before sitting in front of it. She looked to Jocasta Nu. “Master Nu, how do I -”

“There is a pressure pad on top,” the Archivist said. “Place your hands atop it.”

Gently, not wanting to break the delicate artefact, Obi-Wan did so.  

The holocron flared to life under Obi-Wan’s hands, and she jerked them away. As she did so, a man’s body, small but solidly projected, appeared. The man was lean but muscular, perhaps in his thirties or forties, obviously humanoid, with close cropped hair and a slight beard. He blinked up at Obi-Wan, looked around the room, noticing the Council around them, and, to Obi-Wan’s amazement, cracked a smile at her in amusement. “Huh. An audience. You really do keep getting them.”

“I’m sorry?” Obi-Wan asked, confused. 

“You should be.” Revan crossed his arms, gazing up at her. “Do you know how hard it is to get ahold of you, Obi-Wan Kenobi? Like trying to get you to stop wandering the dunes as krayt dragon bait!”

Obi-Wan blinked. “I’m very sorry, Master Revan,” she said slowly. Did holocrons always behave like this? The way the Force was coming off of Jocasta Nu and some of the Councillors, she suspected not. Tentatively, she continued, “I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. Are you certain it’s me you wanted to speak to? Perhaps one of the Council members would be more...appropriate?”

Revan uncrossed his arms, and then squinted his eyes, peering up at Obi-Wan critically before opening his eyes wide. “Aw Sithspit, I’m a little early, aren’t I?”

Obi-Wan was slightly taken aback. “Early?” In her mind, Qui-Gon was just as shocked. 

Revan waved a hand. “Nope. Never mind, I’ll see you in a couple of years.” He paused. “Wait, how old are you now?”

“I’m - I’m thirteen,” Obi-Wan said, confused by the question. “I just became Master Jinn’s apprentice, and -” It had only been a few weeks, actually. The pair had been slowly easing themselves into Obi-Wan’s apprenticeship. 

“Huh,” Revan replied, sounding somewhat surprised himself. “I should have been right on target.”

“Right on target?” Qui-Gon asked, coming forward and putting a hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. “For what, Master Revan?”

Revan beamed at Qui-Gon. “Nothing you need to worry about, Master Jinn.” He turned back to Obi-Wan, ignoring the looks of consternation on the surrounding faces. How in the Force had Revan knew who Qui-Gon was? “Come back and talk to me when you figure out why you want to.” 

“But…”

The Prodigal Knight smiled warmly up at her, and Obi-Wan briefly considered that the smile was almost  _ fond _ . 

“I’ll see you later, Ben Kenobi.”

With that, the holocron shut down, the lights in the Council Room brightened again, and Obi-Wan looked around in befuddlement. She settled on looking at the equally perplexed Qui-Gon Jinn. “Ben?” she asked. 

Qui-Gon looked from her face to the holocron in her hands, ignoring the Council. “I have no idea.”

* * *

Qui-Gon had been trying and failing to meditate in the living room of the Jinn/Kenobi quarters since they’d come back from the Council chambers, where the Prodigal Knight’s holocron had spoken to Obi-Wan and had inferred - actually, more than inferred - that the ancient Jedi had known her. Obi-Wan’s honesty about the whole situation had, at least, relieved Qui-Gon’s misgivings about his padawan having any interaction with the holocrons in the past. But it still didn’t explain what was going on.   
  
Extremely confused, but trying to act normally for her Master’s sake, Obi-Wan had shut herself in her room and was diligently doing her coursework. She had been sworn to silence by the Council, and while he had not known Obi-Wan long, Qui-Gon was absolutely certain that Obi-Wan would keep her silence. She had a quiet, determined, loyalty to her that Qui-Gon knew he did not deserve.

Qui-Gon was also quite certain that he had no idea what to do. This was, as Jocasta Nu had told him, unprecedented. The Chief Librarian had all but dove into the Archives once the meeting was over to research anything relating to Revan and anyone named Ben.   


Qui-Gon had never been the most studious of children, so he would be useless in the research department. However, he knew someone who was a well-renowned scholar in Old Republic history even outside of Jedi academic circles, who would possibly accelerate the search for whatever was going on with Obi-Wan and Revan’s holocron. The Council - Yoda primarily - had all but ordered Qui-Gon to contact this specific person as soon as possible.

Only he really, really didn’t want to call his Master. He’d rather jump off the Knowledge Tower first, and that was honestly the  _ least _ he would rather do before calling Dooku. His apprenticeship with the extremely stoic Master from Serenno had been rocky throughout, and while they had not parted on poor terms, they had not been wonderful terms either. After Xanatos, their communication had slowed to a trickle. He still cared for the man who raised him, but… it was quite complicated.

Still, he had a duty, not just to the Jedi but to his new apprentice, who was sweeter and more understanding than he deserved considering he’d all but been the reason she’d been sent to the AgriCorps - well, almost, Xanatos had interrupted that. He’d vowed not to do so very badly ever again. 

And so, for Obi-Wan, he’d have to give his Master a call and see what he might be able to tell them to illuminate the situation. 

Qui-Gon reached out and pressed his comm button to call Master Dooku before he could psych himself out from doing it. He regretted it anyway, as the comm rang. Surely the Knowledge Tower wasn’t _that_ tall . 

___

 

Yan Dooku, Jedi Master and titular Count of Serenno, did not often hear from his last apprentice. They both tended keep each other at a distance, even this long after Qui-Gon's own Mastery and series of apprentices. Dooku held a fierce pride for the younger man - whom he held dearer than he could comfortably express. A son, in the only way that the Jedi allowed. 

To receive a call from Qui-Gon, given their mutual reticence, was unusual enough for Dooku to answer his comm immediately upon ascertaining the identity of the caller. He brushed the excitement to the side and kept his happiness from his face. 

The image of Qui-Gon, older than Dooku had last seen him, came into the holo's focus. Even with the shimmering blue of the holo, Dooku could see that the lines in Qui-Gon's face had deepened, which boded ill for his own features. Was that a tinge of grey in Qui-Gon’s locks?

"Qui-Gon Jinn." Dooku said, "this is a surprise." He allowed just a touch of pleasure to colour his tone - but just a touch. It wouldn't do to let Qui-Gon think that his Master thought fondly of him.

Qui-Gon bowed in greeting, his mouth twitching slightly. For all that his Master was one of the most rule abiding in the Temple, Qui-Gon had developed the nickname of 'Maverick', and a penchant for rule breaking that had both put them at odds, and was in Dooku’s opinion likely teenage rebellion that merely had continued into adulthood. "Master, I hope I did not catch you at a bad time?"

In fact, Qui-Gon had not. Dooku had been reading over dry reports he was attending to out of duty, not interest, but it would not do to let Qui-Gon know that. "I was in the middle of something, but nothing that cannot be briefly put aside." He said archly, raising an eyebrow, as if Qui-Gon was being an imposition.

Qui-Gon raised his own eyebrow, and then huffed, and became suddenly coy. "Something has...come up recently, and I was wondering - hoping, that you would be amenable to lending your historical expertise to help... sort this out."

Dooku raised the other eyebrow in surprise. "Historical expertise? In what area? If you are on a diplomatic mission, I am certain Master Nu would be able to give you more than sufficient information."

Qui-Gon winced as he said it. "I need to know more about Pre-Schism history, and...your knowledge of holocrons would be useful."

It took Dooku a moment to respond. His padawan was  _ not _ in any way a scholar and had no interest in such topics when Dooku had been training him. "You have no access to holocrons, you are not on the Council." Force knew, perhaps his padawan had deliberately stolen one, just because he could.

"Are we on a secure channel?" Qui-Gon asked him.

Dooku checked rapidly, taking care to disguise his trepidation with an appearance of leisure. "We are."

Qui-Gon seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "I took a new padawan less than a year ago." That alone surprised Dooku. Qui-Gon's last apprentice had Fallen to the Dark side and he had sworn to never take another. Clearly something had changed. 

"There was some initial reluctance,” Qui-Gon confirmed.”But I cannot find myself regretting the decision." A small smile graced Qui-Gon’s features, and Dooku instantly wanted to know about his new grand-padawan. 

It must have shown on his face, because Qui-Gon continued. “Her name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. She’s a determined little being.” There was a warring of emotions on Qui-Gon’s face that Dooku did not have the opportunity to probe.

“It is about Obi-Wan that I am calling, actually.” Qui-Gon said with a deep breath. Dooku raised an eyebrow. “I thought you would be the best person to help, Yoda did as well.”   


“Help in what capacity, Qui-Gon?” Dooku asked, wishing Qui-Gon would stop beating around the bush. If there was a problem with his padawan, it was hard to say what Dooku could do to help with a young padawan he’d never met. Then again, he was quite pleased that Qui-Gon was seeking his advice.    
  
“If it hadn’t happened, I’m unsure that I would have believed it myself.” Qui-Gon began. “This morning, the Council received a report from Master Nu that one of the older holocrons from around the time of the Schism had abruptly activated itself, and was speaking of its own accord.”

Dooku was speechless. “That is impossible,” he said shortly. “Holocrons are recordings of consciousness. They are activated by an outside user, not the consciousness itself.”

“It would appear otherwise, Master,” Qui-Gon said drily. “At the time, I was unaware of this. However, shortly after the holocron activated, Obi-Wan and I were summoned to an emergency meeting of the Council. Or rather, Obi-Wan was summoned before the Council.”

“Why?” Dooku demanded immediately.

“According to Jocasta Nu.” Qui-Gon said slowly, as if he still did not believe it himself. “When she attempted to converse with the holocron’s consciousness, it demanded to speak to my padawan, and refused discourse with anyone until it had done so.”

“Your padawan?” Dooku asked, disbelieving. He could not wrap his mind around it. How many times had he dreamed of conversing with one of the forbidden objects? Why had it awoken to speak to this… Obi-Wan?

Qui-Gon nodded. “The Council wished to determine if Obi-Wan had ever had any contact with the holocron before it had awoken. She had not. Once that was confirmed, the Council asked Obi-Wan to activate the holocron.” Qui-Gon took a deep breath. “When she did so… the consciousness that was housed in the holocron appeared… I apologize, I am still trying to interpret this on my own; it appeared to know who she was, and spoke to Obi-Wan as comfortably as I would speak to Tahl. Chided her even.”

Dooku was transfixed, and he could see that Qui-Gon was struggling to tell him the rest of it.

“The consciousness called Obi-Wan by another name, one that my Padawan has never to my knowledge used. Obi-Wan certainly denies it. When it became clear that she had no idea what the consciousness was on about, the consciousness within the holocron told Obi-Wan to consult it ‘when she knew why she wanted to’.” Qui-Gon looked at Dooku with serious, bewildered eyes. “I am out of my depth, Master, and Yoda does not know what to make of it. If it were simply a prank I would not have contacted you, Yoda would not have sanctioned it, however due to the… the age of the holocron, the identity of the occupant-”

“Who?” Dooku asked abruptly. If the holocron was from the Schism, it was from a Jedi – or a Sith (though the Council would not  _ dream  _ of admitting they had Sith holocrons in the Temple), who dated back nearly to the founding of the Order.

Qui-Gon told him. Dooku went still for a long, quiet moment.

“I am departing for Coruscant,” he told Qui-Gon. “Immediately.” He was already mentally cataloguing the sources he wished to consult in the Archives.

“I – and Obi-Wan – we are bound to the Temple until you arrive, by the Council’s order,” Qui-Gon told him. He breathed out shakily, then said. “I appreciate it, Master. I… do not understand any of this, and Master Nu looks as if she is ready to interrogate Obi-Wan herself. I have barred her entry to our quarters.”

“By what name,” Dooku began, still reeling. “What name did  _ Revan _ call your padawan?”

“Ben.” Qui-Gon said, almost relieved to confess it. “Ben Kenobi.”

Dooku had never heard of a Ben Kenobi in history, but he did not, Force be blessed, know everything.

“I will be on Coruscant in a week and a half.”

“We will meet you on your arrival,” Qui-Gon promised, and then. “Thank you, my Master.”

Only Dooku’s eyes gave away his fondness. “Of course, Qui-Gon. May the Force be with you.”

“And with you, my Master.” Qui-Gon ended the call.

Dooku rang a bell for a servant, and immediately began to gather up his things.

Revan, once the feared Sith Lord known as Darth Revan – Revan who had nearly brought the Old Republic to its knees and to subjugation. Revan who had married the woman who had restored him to the Light, and who had become known as the Prodigal Knight - had awoken, and was speaking to a padawan he would not, could not possibly have known.

The possibilities were staggering, for knowledge, for his own studies of history – and now the possibility to meet his new grand-padawan. Dooku had been looking forward to a Force artefact auction* that was to be held later in the week. Several members of the guest list were quite prestigious persons, even the Senator for Naboo was meant to be there - but this… no. This was far more important** and superseded anything of his own interest.

 

**Author's Note:**

> *My personal headcanon is that Dooku met Palpatine/Sidious at this auction, and the seduction of Yan Dooku to the Dark Side began there. Not this time. (On a campaign to Save Dooku ™) 
> 
> **No one, at this point, had any idea just how important Revan talking to Obi-Wan was going to be, even before Obi-Wan remembered being plain ‘Ben Kenobi’. Nor would it be the last time he’d talk to Padawan Kenobi***.
> 
> ***Oh look, foreshadowing!!! (Phoenix’s BN: you are a dork.)


End file.
